Annexation of Texas.

The Southern people were anxious to have
the State of Texas annexed to the United States, and such a desire was a
prevailing feeling in that sovereign State. The proposition, when
formally made, was opposed by the people of the North, because the
annexation would increase the area and political strength of the slave
power, and lead to a
war with
Mexico. But the matter was persisted in by the South, and, with the
approbation of President Tyler, a treaty to that effect was signed in
Washington, D. C., April 12, 1844, by Mr. Calhoun, Secretary of
State, and Messrs. Van Zandt and Henderson on the part of Texas. It was
rejected by the Senate in June following. The project was presented at
the next session of Congress in the form of a joint resolution. It had
been made a leading political question at the Presidential election in
the autumn of 1844.

Republic of Texas Map at the Time of Annexation

James
K. Polk had been nominated over Mr. Van Buren, because he was in
favor of the annexation. The joint resolution was adopted March 1, 1845,
and received the assent of President Tyler the next day. On the last day
of his term of office he sent a message to the Texas government, with a
copy of the joint resolutions of Congress in favor of annexation. These
were considered by a convention in Texas, called for the purpose of
forming a State constitution. That body approved the measure (July 4,
1845), and on that day Texas became one of the States of the Union.

The
following is the text of the joint resolution of the Congress and of the
Texas ordinance:

COMMITTEE ROOM, July 4, 1845. Hon.
Thomas J. Rusk,
President of the Convention:

The committee to whom was committed the communication of his Excellency
the President of the republic, together with the accompanying documents,
have had the same under consideration, and have instructed me to report
the following ordinance, and recommend its adoption by the convention.
ABNER S. LIPSCOMB, Chairman.

Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has passed
resolutions providing for the annexation of Texas to that Union, which
resolutions were approved by the President of the United States on the
first day of March, 1845 ; and
Whereas, the President of the United States has submitted to Texas the
first and second sections of the said resolutions as the basis upon
which Texas may be admitted as one of the States of said Union,
and Whereas, the existing government of the republic of Texas has
assented to the proposals thus made, the terms and conditions of which
are as follows:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled, that Congress doth consent that the
territory properly included within, and rightfully belonging to, the
republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the
State of Texas, with a republican form of government, adopted by the
people of said republic, by deputies in convention assembled, with
consent of the existing government, in order that the same may be
admitted as one of the States of this Union.

And be it further resolved, that the foregoing consent of Congress is
given upon the following conditions, to wit: First, said State to be
formed, subject to the adjustment by this government of ail questions of
boundary that may arise with others governments, and the constitution
thereof, with the proper evidence of its adoption by the people of said
republic of Texas, shall be transmitted to the President of the United
States, to be laid before Congress for its final action, on or before
the first day of January, 1846; second, said State, when admitted into
the Union, after ceding to the United States all public edifices,
fortifications, barracks, forts and harbors, navy and navy-yards, docks,
magazines, and armaments, and all other means. pertaining to the public
defense belonging to the said republic, shall retain all its public
funds, debts, taxes, and dues of every kind which may belong to or be
due and owing to the said republic, and shall also retain all the vacant
and unappropriated lands lying within its limits, to be applied to the
payment of the debts and liabilities of said republic of Texas, and the
residue of said lands, after discharging said debts and liabilities, to
be disposed of as said State may direct; but in no event are said debts
and liabilities to become a charge upon the government of the United
States; third, new States, of convenient size, not exceeding four in
number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient
population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out
of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the
provisions of the federal Constitution; and such States as may be formed
out of that portion of said territory lying south of 36° 30' N. lat.,
commonly known as the Missouri Compromise line, shall be admitted into
the Union, with or without slavery, as the people of each State asking
admission may desire; and in such State or States as shall be formed out
of said territory north of said Missouri Compromise line slavery or
involuntary servitude (except for crime) shall be prohibited.

Now, in order to manifest the assent of the people of the republic, as
is required in the above-recited portions of said resolution, we, the
deputies of the people of Texas in convention assembled, in their name
and by their authority, do ordain and declare that we assent to, and
accept the proposals, conditions, and guarantees contained in the first
and second sections of the resolutions of the Congress of the United
States aforesaid.

Adopted by a vote of 56 to 1, July 4, 1845, in the tenth year of the
republic.THOMAS J. RUSK, President. JAMES H. RAYMOND, Secretary.